Original Article :

Author :

Department of Parasitology Airlangga University School of Medicine and Tropical Disease Center Airlangga University Surabaya, Indonesia

Department of Parasitology Airlangga University School of Medicine and Tropical Disease Center Airlangga University Surabaya, Indonesia

Department of Parasitology Airlangga University School of Medicine and Tropical Disease Center Airlangga University Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract :

The genetic mutation in malaria parasite strain causing diversity characteristic of each strain. Many of the antigens, that P. falciparum express during their life cycle, particularly the asexual blood-stages, are antigenically diverse. The two major causes of antigenic diversity are allelic polymorphisms and antigenic variation. Each stage has different antigens that lead to protective immunity and in many cases; these antigens are not expressed at other stages of the life cycle. The TS.Ag isolated from P. falciparum 2300 strain containing mature asexual stages of parasite. Characterization of this antigen by SDS-PAGE and western blott methods has been performed to find out a malaria vaccine candidate for Indonesia locally. Comparison of the protein content of TS.Ag with R.Ag (ring form stage antigen) and RTS.Ag (ring form, trophozoite and schizont antigen) showed that, 14.5 kDa protein present in these three antigens. Western blott analysis of these antigens showed that, only 14.5 kDa protein of TS.Ag and R.Ag were recognized by mouse polyclonal antibody specific to P. falciparum asexual stage antigen, but not by pooled of malaria falciparum-infected human sera. The 14.5 kDa protein was similar to that of P. falciparum merozoit surface protein-8 (MSP-8) located on the parasitophorous vacuole of ring form and schizont stages of parasite.